Archaeologists have found the oldest known traces of blue eyes to date in the remains of a 17,000-year-old child found in the Grotta delle Mura cave in the Monopoli region of Italy. According to the research of Owen Higgins from the University of Bologna and his team, the genetic makeup of this child indicates blue eyes, dark skin colour and dark curly hair. Here are the details!
Details that surprised even scientists were discovered
According to archaeological findings, the child died before he was 18 months old. His skeleton, which is about 82 centimetres long, and analyses of his teeth suggest that he was subjected to physical stress both at birth and throughout his life. The child is also thought to have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a congenital heart disease associated with thickened heart muscles.
Molecular anthropologist Alessandra Modi from the University of Florence says that genetic analyses reveal that the child’s parents were probably first cousins. It is known that this type of family bond was rare in the Palaeolithic period, but more common in the Neolithic period.
Observations at the KECK Observatory in Hawaii have led to the discovery of a comet called WASP-69b.
The oldest previously known blue-eyed individual was the Villabruna man from 14 thousand years ago, discovered in the Villabruna cave in Ripari. Genetic analyses suggest that this child, who lived 17 thousand years ago, may be one of the ancestors of the Villabruna man.
Blue eyes are caused by a mutation in the OCA2 gene. Research suggests that this mutation appeared in Europe between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago and is now found in up to 40 per cent of the European population. This new discovery has revealed an important done about the origin of blue eyes.
How important do you think such discoveries are in understanding our past? Don’t forget to share your views in the comments!
